Top Haunted Hotels Worldwide: 10 Real Stays, Prices & Booking Guide

My name is Chloe, and I run trip research at WakaAbuja. I am the first to admit I am a skeptic with a spreadsheet. But a few years ago, a hotel night in a creaky English inn genuinely rattled me, not because I saw a ghost, but because I couldn’t explain the persistent sound of a door unlatching in a locked room. That night sent me down a rabbit hole of documented hotel history, paranormal investigation reports, and real booking logistics.

This guide is the result. Every entry is linked to a real, bookable hotel with a documented story, a price band from current listings, and a room number or floor to request if you want to maximize your chances of an encounter.

Jump to: Comparison Table | Stanley Hotel | The Langham | Hollywood Roosevelt | Hotel Chelsea | Russell Hotel | Dragsholm Castle | Nottingham Road Hotel | The Bell Inn | Hotel del Salto | Ross Castle | FAQs

Key takeaways

• All 10 hotels are real and bookable: This is not a folklore list. Every property accepts reservations, and several label specific “haunted rooms” on their booking engines.
• Price range is wide: budget options like the Nottingham Road Hotel start under $80 a night, while Dragsholm Castle suites can exceed $500. The sweet spot for a historic haunted room is $200 to $350.
• Documented history matters: We prioritized hotels where the ghost stories are tied to named historical figures, newspaper archives, or interviews with on-site staff, not just anonymous online anecdotes.
• You can request the haunted room directly: Most hotels will confirm the specific room number when you call or email after booking. We list those room numbers where they are publicly acknowledged.
• Book directly with the hotel for special requests: Third-party platforms are fine for comparing prices, but calling the front desk is the only way to guarantee a specific haunted room assignment.
• Always verify current prices: Rates shown are starting ranges from searches on Booking.com and official hotel sites in early 2026. Seasonal events like Halloween can triple these figures.

Haunted Hotels at a Glance: Price, Room, and Booking Comparison

Use this table to scan the list fast. Click any hotel name to jump to its full details with the story, verified sources, and exact booking tips.

Prices are starting rates for a standard double room, pulled from search results early this year. Haunted suites and peak-season dates will cost more. Always check the official hotel website for the most current rate.

1. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, USA

The Stanley Hotel is the property that inspired Stephen King to write The Shining after he and his wife stayed here in 1974. They checked into Room 217 as the only guests in a hotel closing for the winter season. King has described walking the empty corridors late at night and the germ of the Overlook Hotel forming in his mind. Today, the hotel fully embraces its paranormal identity with a daily ghost tour and a dedicated “Spirited Night’s Sleep” package.

The most reported activity centers on Room 217, where guests describe unpacked luggage being tidied and a friendly presence, widely attributed to the hotel’s former head housekeeper, Elizabeth Wilson. The concert hall on the property is also a hotspot, with reports of footsteps and shadow figures on the balcony. The hotel is honest about its history and maintains a log of guest experiences at the front desk.

A standard room in peak summer runs around $250 to $350 per night. Room 217 books out months ahead for October, so reserve directly through the hotel’s official site or check availability on Booking.com.

@marcsebastianf

bear with me while I go through the 4 hours of LIVE footage I have from this night but let’s get this goin 🏫The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO #agreatamericangaysidequest

♬ Main Title (The Shining) – Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind

2. The Langham, London, UK

The Langham opened in 1865 as London’s first grand hotel and has accumulated a deep archive of reported paranormal activity. The most famous ghost is a Victorian-era doctor who allegedly murdered his wife on their honeymoon in Room 333 and then took his own life. BBC journalists staying in the room during the 1970s and 1980s reported furniture moving overnight, lights switching on, and a figure in period clothing standing at the window. One BBC newsreader famously refused to return after his stay.

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The hotel acknowledges the reputation without sensationalizing it. Room 333 is still bookable, though the management notes that activity reports vary widely. A more benign presence, reportedly a German prince who spent his final years living at the hotel, is occasionally spotted in the ballroom area in formal evening wear. Standard rooms start around $380 per night, with Room 333 commanding a premium in autumn.

Compare dates on Expedia, but call the reservations desk directly to confirm you are assigned Room 333, not just a standard room on the third floor.

3. The Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles, California, USA

The Hollywood Roosevelt opened in 1927 and hosted the first Academy Awards ceremony. Its paranormal reputation is tied to two A-list names: Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift. Monroe lived at the hotel for two years early in her career, and a mirror that once hung in her suite, now displayed in the lobby, is the focal point of the most persistent activity reports. Guests and staff claim to see a blonde woman’s reflection in the glass when no one is standing in front of it.

Clift stayed in Room 928 while filming From Here to Eternity, and guests in that room have reported a figure pacing and the sound of a trumpet, Clift’s instrument in the film, echoing in the hallway. The hotel leans into its Old Hollywood mystique without turning into a theme-park attraction. The poolside bar, painted by David Hockney, is worth a visit regardless of ghost-hunting intentions. Rates start around $300 per night for a standard room.

The Marilyn Monroe Suite is a separate booking category and costs significantly more. Check Hotels.com for availability, or call the hotel to ask about Room 928 directly.

4. Hotel Chelsea, New York City, New York, USA

The Hotel Chelsea’s ghost stories are inseparable from its artistic history. Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen’s tragic 1978 incident in Room 100 is the darkest chapter, but the hotel’s paranormal lore extends further. Dylan Thomas, who stayed here in the 1950s, reportedly once declared, “I’ve had 18 straight whiskeys. I think that’s the record.” Staff and guests have since reported a stocky, disheveled man in mid-century clothing near the stairwell, widely attributed to the poet.

The hotel completed a major renovation and reopened in recent years with a mix of long-term artist residents and short-term hotel guests. The current management acknowledges the history without exploiting it. Room 205 is the most requested by paranormal-curious guests, though activity reports are spread across the building’s upper floors.

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Standard rooms start around $280 a night. Book through Booking.com and then contact the front desk to note your interest in a historically significant room, as specific room assignments are not guaranteed online.

5. The Russell Hotel, Sydney, Australia

The Russell Hotel sits in The Rocks, Sydney’s oldest colonial district, a neighborhood built on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The building dates to 1887, and its paranormal reputation centers on a single room: Room 8. Guests staying there over decades have described the distinct sensation of being watched by a sailor, sometimes standing at the foot of the bed or near the window. A former owner of the hotel kept a log of guest reports, many of which described the same figure independently.

@cruise.crazed.fam

The Russell Boutique Hotel Sydney, just a stones throw from the Overseas Passenger Terminal & Fortune of War, Sydney’s oldest pub. Full video on YouTube now! #sydney #sydneyhotel #cruisesydney #travel #hotel

♬ original sound – Marc Scibilia

The hotel is small and independently run, with a nautical theme that matches the harbor location. The management is open about the stories and will confirm Room 8 when you book. Rates are remarkably reasonable for central Sydney, starting around $140 AUD per night. The rooftop garden has a view of the Harbour Bridge and is a peaceful place to decompress if your room gets too lively. Book early on Booking.com, as Room 8 is the most requested room in the building.

6. Dragsholm Castle, Hørve, Denmark

Dragsholm Castle claims to have not one but three distinct resident ghosts, making it arguably the most spectrally crowded hotel on this list. The most famous is the White Lady, identified as a young noblewoman who fell in love with a commoner and was imprisoned in the castle walls by her father. During a 20th-century renovation, workers discovered a skeleton in a white dress sealed inside one of the walls, a detail verified by multiple Danish historical records and the castle’s own documentation.

The other two are a former bishop who wanders the hallways and the Grey Lady, a former maid. The castle now operates as a fine-dining hotel with a Michelin-recommended restaurant. The Bishop’s Room is the most requested for paranormal activity. Rates are high, starting around $420 per night, and the castle books heavily for summer weekends and December. Reservations open months ahead on Booking.com, but the castle’s own website offers dinner-and-stay packages that often include a guided history tour of the haunting locations.

7. Nottingham Road Hotel, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The Nottingham Road Hotel, known locally as “Notties,” is a historic Midlands coaching inn dating to the 19th century. Its resident ghost is Charlotte, a barmaid who allegedly died after falling, or being pushed, from the upstairs balcony. The hotel has kept her room, Room 4, available to guests for decades. Charlotte’s story is unusual because she is described as a mischievous rather than threatening presence: Guests report tidied belongings, moved glasses, and the occasional sound of skirts rustling.

The pub downstairs is the social anchor of the Midlands Meander route, and the hotel is popular with motorcyclists and road-trippers exploring the Drakensberg foothills. This is the most affordable entry on the list, with rooms starting around 1,400 South African rand, roughly $75 USD, per night. Book through Agoda for the best rates on South African properties, and add a note that you are interested in Room 4 and the Charlotte history. The pub staff are happy to tell you the full story over a local draught beer.

8. The Bell Inn, Norfolk, UK

The Bell Inn in the village of Thetford, Norfolk, is a traditional English coaching inn with a pub, a handful of upstairs rooms, and a resident ghost known locally as the Grey Lady. Local newspaper archives and the inn’s own records document consistent reports of a woman in a grey period dress on the staircase and in the oldest section of the building. The inn’s website mentions her directly and without theatrical embellishment, which is refreshing.

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The pub serves solid English food, the rooms are simple but well-kept, and the location works as a base for exploring the Norfolk Broads and the north Suffolk coast. The Stables Room, converted from the original coaching inn stables, is where most activity is concentrated. Rates start at around 85 GBP per night, roughly $110 USD. Book on Booking.com and mention your interest in the Grey Lady when you check in. The owners know the history and will point you to the staircase and the original pub section.

9. Hotel del Salto, San Antonio del Tequendama, Colombia

The Hotel del Salto, now officially the Tequendama Falls Museum of Biodiversity and Culture, sits on a cliff edge overlooking the Tequendama Falls outside Bogotá. It opened as a luxury hotel in 1928 and developed a dark reputation over the decades as a site where people came to take their own lives at the waterfall. The building was abandoned for years before being restored and reopened as a museum with a small guesthouse component. Colombian news archives and Bogotá historical society records document the hotel’s tragic history extensively.

The museum is the main draw now, and daytime visitors outnumber overnight guests. But a few rooms on the upper floor are available to book, and the cliffside location at dusk is legitimately unsettling in the best way. The third-floor rooms facing the waterfall are where most historical activity reports originate. Rates start around $150 USD per night. Book through the museum’s official channels or check availability on Booking.com. The drive from Bogotá takes about 90 minutes, and the museum tour provides essential context for the building’s layered history.

10. Ross Castle, County Meath, Ireland

Ross Castle is a 16th-century tower house turned bed and breakfast on the shores of Lough Sheelin. The owner, who has restored the castle over decades, tells the story of Richard Nugent, the Black Baron, and his daughter Sabina, whose tragic love story is the emotional core of the castle’s haunting. Irish folklore archives and local Meath historical records reference the Nugent family and the legend of Sabina’s ghost wandering the tower. The BBC and multiple Irish travel programs have featured the castle and its stories.

The Tower Room, at the top of a winding stone staircase, is the prime booking for those seeking an encounter. Guests report the sound of a woman weeping and unexplained cold pockets in the room. The castle is a working B&B, not a luxury hotel, so the experience is rustic, intimate, and deeply atmospheric. Rates start around 160 euro per night. Book directly through the castle’s website or check availability on Expedia. The owner often hosts guests for an evening by the fire and is the single best source for the detailed history of the property.

How do you actually book a specific haunted room?

Third-party booking platforms like Booking.com and Expedia rarely let you select a specific room number during checkout. The reliable method is a two-step process: book a standard room through whatever platform gives you the best rate, and then immediately call or email the hotel directly with your reservation number and a polite request for the haunted room by name. Hotel front desks deal with these requests constantly and will confirm if the room is available on your dates. For properties like the Stanley and the Russell Hotel, where a single room drives most of the paranormal interest, calling at least two months ahead is necessary for peak October dates.

What to ask the hotel before you book

• “Is Room [number] available for my dates?” Be specific. Use the room numbers we listed above.
• “Do you offer a ghost tour or history tour for guests?” The Stanley, Dragsholm, and Tequendama museums all do, and they often sell out.
• “Is there any renovation work scheduled?” Historic buildings undergo constant maintenance. A jackhammer at 8 a.m. kills the atmosphere fast.
• “Can you share the documented history of the haunting?” Good hotels with real stories have staff who can answer this. If they evade the question, the “haunted” label is likely just marketing.

What mistakes do people make when booking haunted hotels?

• Assuming any old building is actively haunted: A hotel built in 1850 is not automatically paranormal. Look for specific, named figures with documented history tied to the property. Charlotte at the Nottingham Road Hotel and Elizabeth Wilson at the Stanley are examples of named presences with traceable records.
• Paying a massive premium for “haunted” branding: Some hotels inflate rates 50 percent for a “ghost package” that includes nothing more than a scented candle and a cheap EMF meter. Compare the haunted room rate to a standard room rate on the same floor. If the markup is more than 20 percent with no included tour or experience, it is probably not worth it.
• Visiting only in October: Yes, Halloween is atmospheric. It is also when every amateur ghost hunter books, rates spike, and the hotel feels more like a theme park than a quiet historic building. February and November are often better for a genuine, undisturbed stay.
• Ignoring the hotel’s actual safety record: Some old buildings have legitimate fire safety or structural concerns. Check recent guest reviews on TripAdvisor for maintenance complaints. A collapsing staircase is not the kind of “activity” you want.
• Not reading the cancellation policy: Haunted hotels are often small, independent properties with strict cancellation windows. If you book a non-refundable rate at Dragsholm Castle and your plans change, you are out the full amount.
• Treating staff like paranormal tour guides: The front desk clerk at the Langham is a hospitality professional, not a medium. Be respectful, ask if they are open to discussing the history, and do not press for stories if they seem uncomfortable.

Frequently asked questions

Plan your haunted stay: booking platforms we use

Our WakaAbuja research process compares rates across multiple platforms for every hotel. The links below are the ones we consistently rely on for haunted hotel bookings. We earn a small affiliate commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you, which funds our independent research trips.